


Volatility

by Jarakrisafis



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-24
Updated: 2011-05-25
Packaged: 2017-10-23 23:43:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/256417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarakrisafis/pseuds/Jarakrisafis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wheeljack and Red Alert were recruited into special ops by Jazz and Mirage... Cons: beware</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wheeljack's Recruitment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any mech that could blow up a small moon was worth looking into as a potential recruit for ops.

Any mech that could blow up a small moon was worth looking into as a potential recruit.

Which was why Jazz and Mirage were currently staking out a laboratory on an out of the way base. Jazz felt an optical ridge rise as he listened to the two mechs arguing in the lab, as they had been since he and 'Raj had arrived five breems ago.

:Are you sure about this?: The short range comm. came after the clatter of something being thrown echoed out of the lab.

:Not entirely.: He replied as he twisted to look down at his fellow agent, or at least, to look at the faint waver of solid air that his enhanced visor could detect.

The argument in the lab appeared to be winding down; the loud yelling had at least given way to a conversation at a more reasonable volume. Demagnetising his limbs Jazz dropped to the floor and poked his head into the lab. Only to jump back with a curse as a wrench bounced off the doorframe.

:Jazz?: Mirage asked as he reappeared in the visible spectrum.

:The medic in there threw a wrench at me.:

Mirage raised a delicate looking optical ridge as he scooped the offending item off the floor. :I can see that: He tilted his head quizzically. :Any idea why?:

:The medic threw a wrench at me!: Jazz repeated as he cautiously inched his helm around the doorframe again. :I didn't even say anything.: He paused for a moment before continuing, overtones of surprise present in his comm. :He didn't even look at me either.: A hint of respect entered his tone. :He has good aim.:

"Can I come in without being decapitated?" He asked the two mechs when another wrench wasn't immediately forthcoming.

"I suppose if you must since you obviously can't take a hint." A rather caustic tone replied.

“Oh I don’t know, the wrench to the helm made your feelings quite clear, I’m just not inclined to wait for you to finish.” Jazz said as he ambled into the lab, Mirage following him like a shadow.

“Hi, sorry ‘bout the mess.” Their target, one Wheeljack, engineer, currently assigned to the science team under Ultra Magnus, said as he waved a hand at the scorched lab. The most disturbing part about the action being that the hand, and a good section of the arm was no longer attached. “I’m Wheeljack, this is Ratchet.” He continued, using his severed arm to indicate the junior medic who was working on his shoulder. “You must have just transferred since I’ve never seen either of you before.”

“Jazz, this is Mirage.” Jazz said when he finally managed to get a word in, “and actually we’re looking for you.”

“Me?” The engineer repeated with a confused look before his entire posture slumped. “This is about the moon isn’t it?”

“Sure is." Jazz acknowledged with a grin. “My boss was pretty impressed with it you see.”

“I didn’t mean, wait, impressed?” Wheeljacks audial fins gave a disconcerting multicoloured ripple of colour as they reflected his confusion.

“Oh yeah, not every vorn you find a mech who can blow up a small moon with only grenades and take out an entire con base in the process.”

Ratchet narrowed his optics, the sharp blue glow barely showing through the half closed shutters. “You want him to do that on purpose.” He paused a moment as he considered something. “You’re ops.”

:He’s quick.: Mirage commed as Jazz regarded the engineers friend. “Yes we want him to do that on purpose."

The medic huffed out a ventful of atmosphere as the engineers fins flashed in excitement. “He doesn’t need encouragement.” The medic muttered as he took possession of the detatched arm and began to reattach it. “Does Magnus know you’re here recruiting?”

“Not exactly.” Jazz hedged, “but I’m sure he won’t mind transferring you.”

Both medic and engineer let out a burst of staticky laughter. “We’re out here in the middle of nowhere because he doesn’t want Wheeljack destroying his main base in a giant explosion. And I'm here because I'm the only medic insane enough to treat him. Trust me, nothing would make him happier than to lose us.”

“So, you wouldn't mind transferring?” Jazz asked as he looked between the two.

“Count me in.” Wheeljack accepted as he flexed his repaired arm. “Will you let me have more explosives?” He ducked with an ease born of long practice as Ratchet attempted to clock him with yet another wrench.

"If he's going, I'm going, besides I'm sure ops could always use an extra medic around."

“Excellent.” Jazz grinned, despite the fact that he was going to be the one explaining to his boss why he had gotten a medic tagging along with the engineer. “I’ll get it all arranged, welcome to ops.”

:I still think this was a bad idea.: Mirage commed as the two of them left the lab.

:Well, I suppose if it all blows up in our faceplates I’ll just have to blame you.” Jazz replied with a smirk. The wrench that Mirage had taken possession of and never returned finally found its mark as the noble delivered a solid thwack to the top of his superiors helm.


	2. Same Explosion, Different Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoever thought that adding a demolitions expert to an ops team would be a good idea has never had to run for their life from a ticking timer..

"You guys have to come watch this." A datachip was waved in the air before being inserted into a console. "You know the ambush my patrol planned last cycle, well, one of the cons had this." The file started to play in the background.

"Security logs?" A mech asked from amongst the group that had wandered over to look.

"Not just any security logs. These are from the outpost in Verizon Helix sector."

"Cons took over that ages ago."

"You obviously haven't heard the reports then." The mech looked positively gleeful as he paused the datachip so he could deliver the news. "Verizon base was destroyed, and rumour has it that the Wraiths were responsible." He pointed at the frozen screen behind him. "And this is the proof, according to the chip it’s the backup security footage from the base." Mechs scrambled from all over the rec room to crowd around the screen as the mech restarted the recording.

Security lights flooded the area around the base. Sheltered behind some debris from a previous conflict five mechs stared out at their objective.

:You're up Hunter: One of them sent on a short range comm band as they all ducked as a flashlight on an automatic sweep passed over their outcrop of scrap. Despite all being painted a monotone dull black to help avoid sensors they weren't taking any chances.

Hound huffed slightly, still new enough to ops that using code names wasn't natural. Activating his hologram generator several well armed mechs leapt up from cover near the front of the base. The response was immediate, all base defences and lights turned on the intruders, who dove back undercover, just popping up long enough to ensure they kept the cons attention and not long enough for weapon fire to pass straight through them and give away they weren't real. None of the cons noticed three black shadows and a wavering patch of atmosphere dash towards the rear.

"Ok, I still don't see anything." One of the audience said. The mech who had brought the datachip in rewound the security feed they were watching "You were all watching that side weren't you?" He gestured at the side of the screen showing the main entrance before restarting the recording and stabbing a finger at the half of the screen showing the darkened back entrance. "I had to watch it a couple of times to spot them."

Under his finger the profile of three mechs was just discernable as the rear entrance was expertly hacked and the three shadows entered the building. Almost simultaneously the Autobots advancing on the front door turned tail and ran.

The security feed switched to a variety of internal cameras, all showing different corridors and rooms within the base. "Now is where it starts to get good." The mech said as every pair of optics remained glued to the screens and the three black mechs now standing around.

:I remotely initiated a replay loop in the security centre when I hacked the security systems to get the door open. It should hold until they actually see one of us and start asking why security hasn't picked us up. I'll be able to wipe the backup security footage entirely when I have full access:

:Excellent Wild, get up there then and take full control. Nova, energy generator, and for Pit's sake make sure you don't activate the timer till we're on our way out this time. Illusion, we're heading to the command centre, I'll meet you there: The two visible mechs nodded before setting off while a double tap on his shoulder plating let him know the fourth had understood.

"Here we go." Somebody said as the three mechs began to move. The smallest one made a straight-line for a ventilation duct in the ceiling, leaping up and clinging to the wall as he removed the cover before shimmying inside and out of view of the surveillance, although it did catch the grating being thoughtfully pulled shut behind him.

The other two split at the next intersection, both using very different strategies for reaching their objectives without being caught. One of them withdrew a Decepticon symbol from his subspace and casually stuck it to his chestplates. Obviously he was also broadcasting a Decepticon signal as he passed several cons who all looked slightly confused at his presence but otherwise ignored him.

The other one however took a much more direct route to his destination, thus avoiding any cons. Well, avoiding them until the first one came across the newly created hole in the floor.

“Well, that’s one way to get around con patrols.” Somebot said as they watched the screens start to track the explosive infiltrator as the security mechs finally worked out they were being fooled. Unfortunately their focus on the one mech left the other three to roam at will. Then again, to security mechs the one blowing up reinforced blast doors with explosives taken out of his subspace is probably the more dangerous.

The mechs watched with open admiration as the pursuing cons were forced to come to a stop as they regarded the laser tripwires liberally crisscrossing the corridor and the mine charges ready to go off in a chain reaction if only one laser is tripped. The original owner of the mines continued to saunter down to the power generator, showing no sign that he was worried about the Decepticons figuring out how to get through his maze.

Meanwhile in another corner of the recording one of the screens showed a grate being slowly pushed back, the infiltrator again thoughtfully replacing the grill before slipping through the doors into the control room.

He made quick work of the four Decepticons inside, all of them falling within quick succession.

“How did he do that? He didn’t even touch those two!” A bot exclaimed as he took over the controls to replay the segment of recording.

Pulling his knife out of the second Decepticon Jazz ambled over towards the commander’s desk, nodding a thanks at his invisible partner as he went.

“There!” Several fingers pointed as the air seemed to shimmer, revealing another black form right before two of the Decepticons collapsed, before it wavered out of view again. “One of them can go invisible. Wonder if he knows the Tower Noble from Primes group?” Several sets of armour rippled in shrugs as they settled back down to continue.

Rifling through the datapads Jazz started to copy the contents while ‘Raj kept an eye out for any mechs heading their way.

:Uhhhhm Tempo.:

:I don’t like that tone: Mirage said before Jazz managed to answer.

:What’s up Nova?:

:Well, you see, the thing is, I’ve sort of, well... startedachainreactioninthepowergenerator.:

:I told you I didn’t like that tone.:

:Hush Illusion. How long have we got?: Jazz asked, resignation clearly lacing the comm. tone.

:Ah, enough time to get out?: the fact that he phrased it as a question didn’t do anything to reassure the other three.

“What’s happening?” The audience was looking confused as the mech who had just been about to enter the security room froze before returning his weapon to subspace and sauntering off, very much the bored Decepticon warrior. And the other mech started to subspace datapads rather than copying them, a look of mingled amusement and annoyance on his faceplates.

“This would be the time they work out that the one at the generator just started to blow up the base.”

Having collected the last of the datapads the mech, and they assumed his invisible companion set off towards the nearest exit, any attempt at stealth now a foregone conclusion.

:Remind me to murder Nova.: Jazz said on a shortwave to Mirage as the two of them ran for the exit.

:Will do and you ca.: whatever he was going to say was cut off by a scream of glee.

:Yeeeehaaaaaaaaaar: Wheeljack hurtled through his intricate tripwire system at the top speed his hovertransport alt form could manage, the Decepticons waiting at the other side of the barrier simply staring as he barrelled past, the multiple explosions following directly on his tailpipe.

He took the turns without slowing, the cons that had been intelligent enough to get away from the mines breaking off one by one when they decided that catching him wasn’t worth flattening themselves on a wall.

Slinging himself around the last turn he caught several muffled curses from above but he didn’t stop to look back, the generator would be reaching critical soon.

Demagnetising himself and Mirage from the roof of the corridor, which had been the only safe place available when Jack had barrelled past, Jazz stared after his engineer.

:You remember what Wrench said.:

:If Nova runs, try to keep up?:

Both mechs stared at each other for half a click longer before they hit the ground in alt form and followed the trail of dents in the wall and reeling Decepticons that Jack was leaving in his wake. They collected Red Alert by almost flattening him again as he was just picking himself up after throwing himself to the floor to avoid the first insane driver.

They emerged through a hole in the wall where the back door should have been, a clear sign that Wheeljack had passed by and sped across the desolate landscape, Hound falling in beside them as they passed his hiding place.

The watching mechs sighed in disappointment as the cameras all cut off in a film of static as the base exploded and the transmission of the security feed to the nearest intact base was disrupted.

“I know it’s not from the same source, but this is what it looks like now.” The mech said as he brought up a still image of the crater that occupied the same spot the base had not long before. A few support struts from the supposedly bomb proof basement still sticking up.

:Oooops.: Several pairs of optics narrowed as they regarded the engineer, who despite his apology was not looking at all sorry.

Jazz booted up his vocaliser; then cancelled what he was about to say and simply settled for shaking his head.

:Only you could blow up a generator which is supposed to be able to survive a city mech firing on it at point blank range.: Red Alert finally said.

Wheeljack simply flashed his head fins happily. :True, but you have to admit, it was a good boom...:


	3. Not the Usual Suspects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Alert and Wheeljack used to work together as saboteurs...

The completion of a holographic training room in the base had been a cause for celebration. After all, nobody was sure how many more training injuries Ratchet could take without violently offlining the next bot to step into his realm.

The simulator was linked to an internally loaded program and to weapons systems, which when activated allowed weapons fire and damage to be calculated by the program and it would cause systems to react as they would to damage. But there wouldn’t be the actual physical damage, thus no grouchy, murderous medic.

Somewhere in the party to celebrate this fact somebody had turned up with homebrewed highgrade of which a large portion had now been consumed.

Thus it was no surprise that a large portion of the bots were pairing up and placing bets on who could get furthest through a scenario involving a large Decepticon base, a segment of data that had to be recovered or removed and the order that as much damage be done as possible.

The success rate for completion of the mission was exceptionally low, most bots simply using it as a simulation with lots of enemies to blast.

Running out of pairs to take part in their scenario the group turned to those around them, one of these being the security director and one of his friends. Inferno had managed to pull Red Alert away from the control room and they were listening in to the conversation with only half an audial before one of the gathered bots suggested they join the group.

The gathered bots had expected both to say no outright, thus they were surprised when Red had agreed to take part.

Red Alert insisted he and his as yet unknown partner could not only get further than anybody else, they would actually finish the scenario. Most assumed it was the high grade talking and the bets were adjusted accordingly.

Several sets of optics slid over to observe Red when he walked into the observation room several days later.

“Jazz and Mirage finished the scenario; you have seventy two percent data retrieval and forty nine percent damage to beat.” Ironhide informed him.

Red nodded as he watched two of the Protectobots taken down before they even made it inside the base.

“Where’s your partner?”

“Right here.” Several sets of optics blinked as they regarded the engineer.

“Wheeljack?” even Ironhide looked surprised, “You sure about this Red?”

“Quite sure.” The security director said as he and Jack made their way over to the door where Streetwise and Groove were exiting the simulator, laughing to each other as they waved to the elder bots.

“Ok, if you’re sure about this.” Ironhide’s voice came over the intercom, “Sequence commencing in three, two, one.”

The room before them rippled, quickly becoming a tangle of metal buildings in various states of repair, with metal, ceramic and crystal littering the ground, making moving quietly a challenge.

Both bots immediately moved into cover, Red sliding around a doorframe as he unsubspaced a rifle, Wheeljack crouching behind some rubble as he muted his fins to avoid giving himself away.

The two stayed silent and still as a Decepticon patrol passed by before easing out of their hiding spots and moving to the next available cover.

The bots in the control tower watched as the two managed to work their way through the maze of streets without being seen or heard by the various patrols which routinely swept the area.

Red peered around the building he was using to hide behind at the area of ground surrounding the base. The cons had razed the houses to a melted slag to avoid any attackers using the buildings as shields. It also made creeping up to the base virtually impossible.

Twisting round to look at Jack he shrugged. The door they were aiming for was a small back entrance to the complex. What had originally before the war been the cities official information hub and the enforcers’ offices had been re-commissioned as a small out of the way Decepticon communications base.

Unfortunately it had picked up a rather important transmission. Unfortunate for the Autobots as it could mean the loss of several strategic positions once the Decepticons decoded the information and forwarded it to the main bases, unfortunate for the base because it had just become a priority target for the Autobots.

The Decepticon base however remained oblivious to its sudden rise in status and its occupants were blissfully unaware of the approaching danger.

Thus the small door Red and Jack were watching had no guard, unlike the main entrance on the other side of the complex, the cons instead relying upon the highly advanced security systems to warn them if the door code was changed, hacked or otherwise tampered with.

Had they known what was coming they would most likely have had several very angry cons stationed behind it, regrettably they were not there to witness the two Autobots slink out of the buildings and dash for the door.

Nor did the security system register more than a faint blip, which its self diagnostic attributed to a small power surge and thus not worth sounding the alarm.

Several bots up in the control room swore as they watched the door open to let the two slip inside, quite a bit of money had been resting on them being caught trying to get inside, given that the only pair to manage it so far had been Jazz and Mirage. They had been forced to split up when they set off one of the back door alarms, Mirage going in under cloak and Jazz keeping the cons outside of the base busy.

Once inside the two bots split up, Red Alert sneaking to the centre of the complex, avoiding cons and cameras as he went, Wheeljack on the other hand strolled through the corridors with no such regard for things such as security systems.

“What is he doing?” One of the bots in the control room asked as the computer tracked the apparently suicidal engineer and the Decepticons closing in on him.

“I have a bad feeling about that.” A hand pointed to the screen. Most of the bots took a reflexive step backwards, despite the fact that it was firstly a simulation and secondly, they were in a solid, well reinforced control room.

The bad feeling was borne out as the screen which had been tracking the engineer turned white for a moment as the object Wheeljack had been casually tossing between his hands was lobbed at the group of approaching Decepticons.

When the screen cleared it showed several disorientated Decepticons, but no trace of the engineer.

“Who the frag keeps flash grenades in subspace?” One of the gathered bots asked as Ironhide reset the controls to lock onto the elusive bot.

“Wheeljack apparently.” Another deadpanned as they settled back into watching the show.

Ignoring the shaking of the base as several localised explosions occurred somewhere below; Red tilted his head at the door to the communications hub.

Jack was creating enough trouble by leaving explosives throughout the lower levels that most of the control staff were likely to be tracking him and sending instructions to the cons actually attempting to apprehend him, that meant with any luck none of them would be watching the camera which was trained on the very door he needed to get through.

Slinking forwards he ignored the number pad, instead flicking the dataport cover below the pad out of the way and jacking into the system. Numbers and glyphs flashed over his vision as he started dismantling and rebuilding the coding which was meant to stop the door from being hacked, casually over-riding the alarm as he went.

Pulling out of the connection he unhooked his data cable before carefully punching in the new code to the door panel. It opened with barely a sound, the three cons inside didn’t even bother to turn around, their optics glued to the monitors as they tried to hem in the menace that was slowly destroying their base.

Pulling out his rifle he calmly levelled it and took out the three cons in quick succession, at this distance even he couldn’t miss.

Rolling one of the offline bodies out of the way he took over the console.

Hacking into the system from the mainframe made his job a lot easier as he locked the door to the control room and began searching for the mission sensitive data.

Keeping half an optic on the cameras he continued giving the cons instructions and closing doors around the base.

Down below Wheeljack grinned as a door slid shut behind him. Finally! He’d been starting to get tired of having to blast through doors that were slamming shut in front of him. Especially since there was a finite amount of ammunition even he could carry.

With Red now keeping an eye on the cons and hindering their search for him, it was time to get to the favourite part of his job.

Turning to look at one of the cameras mounted on the wall the engineer held up a detonator and mimed running.

Up in the control room Red laughed as he accessed the camera controls and moved it in a clear up and down pattern. The data had completed its download and been wiped about a breem ago, he’d just been amusing himself by sending the cons round in circles while Jack planted his remaining explosive goodies.

Skidding over the debris on the ground Red swerved into the shelter of one of the buildings, Wheeljack right on his aft as the ground trembled beneath them.

Knocking ceramic dust and crystal shards off his frame Red poked his head out of his cover to stare at what had been a building not two breems before. “Impressive.” He said as Jack poked his head around the security director to regard the crater in the ground with an evaluating look.

“Not big enough.”

Red ignored the quip as the two of them set off towards the point they had started from, easily avoiding the remaining Decepticons who seemed quite spooked by the sudden reduction of their base to little more than rubble.

Reaching the designated extraction point the two bots were greeted by the appearance of a door as the buildings behind them melted away.

“How did you do that?” One of the assembled bots asked as the viewscreen behind them still showed the utter destruction wrought on the Decepticon base.

Wheeljacks fins flashed a bright green in amusement, “who do you think took the original mission?”

Red smirked behind his mask as the whine of processors locking up filled the room. Serve them all right for making him glitch. Vengeance could be so sweet.

Tilting his head at the rebooting bots Wheeljacks fins flickered again, “I suppose we shouldn’t tell them about any of the other missions either?”


	4. Rumour has it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gossip travels fast, and not always correctly...

I overheard Jazz talking to Mirage, he was wondering what would happen if he reactivated one of his special ops units. The one the ‘cons named the Wraiths.

\-------------------

Smokescreen overheard Jazz trying to decide if he should reactivate the Wraiths.

\-------------------

BeetoldmethatJazzmightreactivatetheWraithsandwouldn’titbecoolifhedid? BecausetheDecepticonswouldn’tknowwhathitthem.

\-------------------

Blurr said that Jazz is planning to reactivate the Wraiths and send them after the cons.

\-------------------

Gears said that Jazz is apparently bringing the Wraiths back to kick con aft.

\-------------------

Hoist told me that Jazz is reactivating the Wraiths and is sending them after the cons still on Earth. And did you know that the Wraiths are a five mech team but they can take out entire bases on their own. That’s because they work so well together, you see Tempo and Illusion are assassins, Supernova is a saboteur, Wildhack is, well, a hacker, and Hunter is a tracker, so they can get into a base, get information out of it, blow it up and then hunt down any mechs that might have escaped. Oh, of course you knew that, every mechs heard of the Wraiths, but aren’t you glad they are on our side?

\-------------------

I overheard the Autobot Bluestreak talking about the Wraiths; apparently they have been reactivated and are being sent after us.

\-------------------

Dirge is convinced that the Wraiths are back and are going to take us all offline.

\-------------------

Onslaught said that we are doomed because the Wraiths are already on their way here. Tempo and Illusion will offline us all while we are recharging, and Supernova and Wildhack will reduce the base to a crater. And it’s no use running because Hunter will catch us so we might as well just accept that we are all dead mechs.

\-------------------

Dead End thinks that Tempo and Illusion from the Wraiths are coming, in fact they are probably already in the base and stalking us all, just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And Wildhack has probably already filled the computer with virus’ and Supernova has probably already been around and filled up all the nooks and crannies with explosives. And even if we run Hunter will chase us down. In fact, they could be hiding in this very room.

\-------------------

Breakdown came in ranting about the Wraiths and the fact that they are in the base. Normally I wouldn’t take his paranoia seriously but he’s not the only one I’ve heard whispering about this. They are even saying that they are stalking Megatron and that the entire base has been primed to blow as soon as he is offlined.

\-------------------

Hook thinks the Wraiths are here and stalking the high ranking Decepticons and it’s only a matter of time before they offline Megatron and then destroy the rest of the base.

\-------------------

Skywarp reported that apparently everybody seems to think the Wraiths are out to offline Megatron. Of course if he isn’t good enough to stop them he obviously doesn’t deserve to be the commander here. But they are also saying that the base has been filled with explosives and that the computer system has been compromised. So if I was in command I’d be moving bases right now just in case.

\-------------------

Starscream: convinced the Wraiths are present. Tempo and Illusion: stalking you, intention: to offline you. Computer: compromised by Wildhack, Supernova: rigged base to explode once you are offlined.

\-------------------

You are never gonna guess what I overheard the Boss telling Megatron. The Wraiths are here! Tempo and Illusion are just waiting for the right moment to offline Megatron, and then Supernova is going to blow the base. And apparently Wildhack has already been through the computers and extracted any useful information. So basically, we’re fragged.

\-------------------

Prime, Prowl, Blaster here, could you pop up to the comm. centre, I overheard Rumble and Frenzy talking about the strangest thing while monitoring the open comm. channels.

\-------------------

Jazz, Mirage, Hound, Red Alert, Wheeljack, report to my office if you would, I need to speak to you about some rumours that appear to be circulating. Prowl out.


End file.
